Steel work continues at BHS

Construction work on the campus of BHS continues as the steel structure of the roughly 100,000 square foot addition is taking shape.

“Work is going very well thus far. It is exciting to see the addition beginning to take shape,” said BPSD Superintendent Dr. Gary W. Quinn.

Upon completion of construction, BHS will become a 9-12 high school. In order to provide ample space for the addition of two grades, BHS will have a science wing constructed on the north side of the building adding four classrooms for sophomores. Classrooms for sophomores will also be added to the southeastern portion of BHS, just south of the Custer Stadium grandstand. A large cafeteria and commons area will be constructed as well.

Ninth graders will be predominately housed in a freshman center. The freshman center will be constructed on the southeast corner of the existing BHS structure and will not be a standalone structure. The freshman center will allow students to slowly acclimate to the high school setting while being housed in a specific portion of the building for a majority of the day.

This winter, the new structure at BHS is scheduled to be “dried-in,” meaning the shell of the structure will be sufficiently completed and a bulk of the work can shift to the interior of the building. Construction will continue throughout the spring of 2015 with a scheduled completion date of August 2015. The expansion project is expected to be completed and ready for use on the first day of the 2015-16 school year, Wednesday, August 12, 2015.

To keep up with the construction progress at BHS, you can view the live construction cam, which can be viewed at the BPSD homepage, www.bps-ok.org.

In addition to the work at BHS, a new secured entrance is being constructed at Bartlesville Mid-High School. The secured entrance, which is being built just east of the current main entrance, will force visitors to enter through the main office. The current main entrance at BMHS will continue to be used daily as students arrive in the morning and depart in the afternoon.